999,930: Cannonball Adderley — Snakin' the Grass

After a stint at Capitol which saw the quality of Adderley's music deteriorate as he endlessly chased after the freakish success of "Mercy Mercy Mercy", the veteran alto player landed at Fantasy with A&R man Orrin Keepnews, who'd produced some of Cannonball's earliest hard bop dates as a leader on Riverside. Knowing that Adderley recorded best in front of an audience, Keepnews pulled as many warm bodies as he could into the studio, set up a bar, and distributed what the liner notes call "magical brownies", hint hint. In front of such a pliant crowd, Adderley went to work with perhaps the sickest rhythm section he'd employed since parting ways with bassist Sam Jones in the early '60s, headed up by Walter Booker and Roy McCurdy. Joined by electric pianist Hal Galper and (as usual) by brother Nat Adderley on cornet, Cannonball's group turned out a set of soul-jazz that was as funky as contemporary r&b and as challenging as anything Miles Davis was churning out.

"Snakin' the Grass", penned by Galper (and which may or may not refer to rolling a joint), is a standout track. The punishing beat, pounding ahead with Galper's keys and McCurdy's drums leading the way, almost seems suspended by Booker's pendulous bass, whose notes bend up so forcefully that you fear for the instrument. Cannonball's solo announces itself with a wail, then pulls back and tiptoes into the spaces left by the rhythm section, characteristic of the restraint he acquired later in his career after he grew tired of simply playing as fast as possible. He and Nat add little more than accents with the melody, consisting mostly of muted long tones. With a beat like this, they're wise to stay out of the way.

Snakin' The Grass - Cannonball...